Meet the Artistes at the Concert
Nov 15, 2007
BRING the Noise concert slated for Tuesday, November 20 will feature many artistes.
BRING the Noise concert slated for Tuesday, November 20 will feature many artistes. Gilbert Mwijuke presents them to you
MI, Nigeria
MI was born Jude Abaga. His mother taught him basic music notations and later bought him a 7-key mini piano. And it was this piano that launched him into the music industry.
His first encounter with hip-hop was in 1998, when he heard the works of DMX.
In 1999, MI left Nigeria for Calvin College, Michigan, USA to pursue a degree in Business and Economics.
He performed at all the major hip-hop and RnB shows in school and later came third in the Calvin College HOPERA 2003.
On his return to Nigeria, MI set his eyes on taking African hip-hop to a higher level.
IG Culture, UK
IG Culture is a London musician and performer best known as the pioneer of the broken beat movement. He started as a member of the hip-hop duo, Dodge City Productions in 1990.
After its demise, he founded a record label One Drop Interouter, which released four albums.
Culture founded the New Sector
Movements featuring broken beat artists. His production features rhythms and hybrids of several musical styles such as jazz-fusion, funk and soul.
He appeared on the Roots Manuva album, Brand New Second Hand in 1999. In 2001, New Sector Movements released Download This through Virgin Records. This was preceded by an EP No Tricks.
In 2001, he released the Inspirations album followed by a 2-CD set of the same name in 2003. He also produced the Les Nubians album One Step Forward, released in 2003.
In 2004, a second album from the New Sector Movement, Turn It Up, was credited to NSM.
Agnes Muthoni Ndonga, Kenya
Born in 1983, Muthoni describes herself as a fusion artiste. Her music is urban, incorporating some elements of Kiswahili, Kikuyu, jazz, soul, Seben spunk, chakacha and Isukhuti. Muthoni is also a co-founder of TYTE Entertainment, Inc., a company that deals in live band solutions for individuals and corporate clients.
Kunta Ali, Cameroon
Kunta holds a BSC degree in Theatre Arts and a diploma in music. He also has skilled in video directing and scriptwriting, making him an all-rounder in the world of art. He belongs to a hip-hop family called Deletedklan. In his music, he uses African rhythm. He says that his aim is to make hip-hop as professional and universal as possible. His genre is rap, with a very distinct Cameroonian flavour. But the unique thing about his music is that it is based on truth. Kunta likes to be identified as a producer-rapper and loves to play the guitar as well.
Keyti, Senegal
Keyti is a true old school legend. Not only was he one of the first rappers in Senegal, but also one of the founders of Senegal’s notorious crew, Rapadio. In 2002, Keyti went go solo.
With his razor-sharp tongue, one can clearly see why Keyti has remained on top of the hip-hop game in Senegal for over a decade. He mixes traditional and world influences in his music, which he describes as representative of modern Senegalese music.
OJ, Ghana
A popular gospel musician, OJ a.k.a Michael Oware Sakyi, learnt to play the guitar at the age of 11. He is also skilled on the piano and drums. At the University of Ghana, he studied music, majoring in voice. He is currently a music producer at My Life Studios at GBC Tower, Kwame Nkurumah Circle, Accra, and Bessey House of Music, Kwadaso in Kumasi.
Paul Ndunguru, Tanzania
Born in 1971, Ndunguru is well-known as a musician and an illustrator for children’s books, textbooks and magazines. He is also a playwright, songwriter, composer and director. Ndunguru went to Bagamoyo College of Arts.
In 1998, he was lead vocalist, composer and acoustic guitarist in the Manyani Nani band, which played African fusion music.
In 2003, he won a prize for music crossroads regional competition and was chosen to participate in Falun Music Festival in Sweden on Folk Music around the world.
Jonny Ragga, Ethiopia
He was born Yohaness Bekele in 1977 in Addis Ababa. Ragga developed the love for music while in high school.
When he was 17, he joined Media Band and travelled to North America, Europe and Middle East.
His first album, Give Me The Key was released in 2005, winning him the Best Music Video Award at the Ethiopian Music Awards and Best East African Music at the Channel O All Africa Music Awards in 2006.
He was also nominated for the Best African Reggae Artiste in the same awards. In 2006, he was awarded first place in the Fest Horn African Music Festival in Djibouti.
MI, Nigeria
MI was born Jude Abaga. His mother taught him basic music notations and later bought him a 7-key mini piano. And it was this piano that launched him into the music industry.
His first encounter with hip-hop was in 1998, when he heard the works of DMX.
In 1999, MI left Nigeria for Calvin College, Michigan, USA to pursue a degree in Business and Economics.
He performed at all the major hip-hop and RnB shows in school and later came third in the Calvin College HOPERA 2003.
On his return to Nigeria, MI set his eyes on taking African hip-hop to a higher level.
IG Culture, UK
IG Culture is a London musician and performer best known as the pioneer of the broken beat movement. He started as a member of the hip-hop duo, Dodge City Productions in 1990.
After its demise, he founded a record label One Drop Interouter, which released four albums.
Culture founded the New Sector
Movements featuring broken beat artists. His production features rhythms and hybrids of several musical styles such as jazz-fusion, funk and soul.
He appeared on the Roots Manuva album, Brand New Second Hand in 1999. In 2001, New Sector Movements released Download This through Virgin Records. This was preceded by an EP No Tricks.
In 2001, he released the Inspirations album followed by a 2-CD set of the same name in 2003. He also produced the Les Nubians album One Step Forward, released in 2003.
In 2004, a second album from the New Sector Movement, Turn It Up, was credited to NSM.
Agnes Muthoni Ndonga, Kenya
Born in 1983, Muthoni describes herself as a fusion artiste. Her music is urban, incorporating some elements of Kiswahili, Kikuyu, jazz, soul, Seben spunk, chakacha and Isukhuti. Muthoni is also a co-founder of TYTE Entertainment, Inc., a company that deals in live band solutions for individuals and corporate clients.
Kunta Ali, Cameroon
Kunta holds a BSC degree in Theatre Arts and a diploma in music. He also has skilled in video directing and scriptwriting, making him an all-rounder in the world of art. He belongs to a hip-hop family called Deletedklan. In his music, he uses African rhythm. He says that his aim is to make hip-hop as professional and universal as possible. His genre is rap, with a very distinct Cameroonian flavour. But the unique thing about his music is that it is based on truth. Kunta likes to be identified as a producer-rapper and loves to play the guitar as well.
Keyti, Senegal
Keyti is a true old school legend. Not only was he one of the first rappers in Senegal, but also one of the founders of Senegal’s notorious crew, Rapadio. In 2002, Keyti went go solo.
With his razor-sharp tongue, one can clearly see why Keyti has remained on top of the hip-hop game in Senegal for over a decade. He mixes traditional and world influences in his music, which he describes as representative of modern Senegalese music.
OJ, Ghana
A popular gospel musician, OJ a.k.a Michael Oware Sakyi, learnt to play the guitar at the age of 11. He is also skilled on the piano and drums. At the University of Ghana, he studied music, majoring in voice. He is currently a music producer at My Life Studios at GBC Tower, Kwame Nkurumah Circle, Accra, and Bessey House of Music, Kwadaso in Kumasi.
Paul Ndunguru, Tanzania
Born in 1971, Ndunguru is well-known as a musician and an illustrator for children’s books, textbooks and magazines. He is also a playwright, songwriter, composer and director. Ndunguru went to Bagamoyo College of Arts.
In 1998, he was lead vocalist, composer and acoustic guitarist in the Manyani Nani band, which played African fusion music.
In 2003, he won a prize for music crossroads regional competition and was chosen to participate in Falun Music Festival in Sweden on Folk Music around the world.
Jonny Ragga, Ethiopia
He was born Yohaness Bekele in 1977 in Addis Ababa. Ragga developed the love for music while in high school.
When he was 17, he joined Media Band and travelled to North America, Europe and Middle East.
His first album, Give Me The Key was released in 2005, winning him the Best Music Video Award at the Ethiopian Music Awards and Best East African Music at the Channel O All Africa Music Awards in 2006.
He was also nominated for the Best African Reggae Artiste in the same awards. In 2006, he was awarded first place in the Fest Horn African Music Festival in Djibouti.